About Us

**BEFORE APPLYING FOR ASSISTANCE, PLEASE REVIEW THE APPROVAL PROCESS PAGE TO MAKE SURE YOU MEET THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND UNDERSTAND WHAT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION YOU NEED TO PROVIDE. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION MUST BE SUBMITTED VIA This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. AT THE TIME OF YOUR APPLICATION**

Hobo's Healing Heart is a South Dakota chartered not for profit serving Butte, Custer, Lawrence, and Meade Counties in South Dakota and Crook County in Wyoming. All donations are 100% tax deductible (unless otherwise noted) in accordance with the US Tax Code 501(c)3, Public Charity Status 107 (b) (1) (A) (vi).

Hobo's Healing Heart aides dog and cat owners who are experiencing financial hardship with emergency veterinary care costs and diagnostic testing. We DO NOT assist with routine care or spaying and neutering of pets. In the unfortunate event that a family must say goodbye to their beloved pet and they do not have a way to bury their pet due to living arrangements or the weather and wish to bring their pet home, we also assist with cremation services.

**We are now accepting applications for financial assistance. Due to limited funding, the number of families and the amount of money we are able to grant may be very limited. Please visit the 'Other Resources' page for other Nonprofits that may be able to assist you and your pet. If we were unable to assist you, please check back often as fund availability can change at any moment. Thank you for visiting and please keep us in mind for your next charitable donation or to create a memorial for your pet on our 'Pet Memorial' page.

Hobo's Healing Heart was founded on May 2, 2014 as a South Dakota Nonprofit Corporation that aids pet owners residing in Butte, Custer, Lawrence and Meade Counties in SD & Crook County WY with unexpected emergency veterinary care.

Mission

The purpose of Hobo’s Healing Heart is to help dog and cat owners avoid having to make veterinary care decisions about companion and/or work animals based on their financial ability.

Description

The goal of Hobo’s Healing Heart is to better the lives of companion and working animals by providing financial assistance to owners whose animal needs emergency or diagnostic veterinary care. We seek to prevent animal owners from having to make the decision to euthanize or surrender their pet due to the financial burden of such care.

While Pet Insurance can often provide assistance with veterinary bills, there are currently few, if any, programs available to help with extraordinary costs associated with sick or injured animals. Unfortunately in many cases these animals are euthanized or surrendered to shelters as families are not equipped to handle the enormous costs that can come with both diagnostic testing and emergency veterinary care treatment. We consider companion and work animals to be family, as such, Hobo’s Healing Heart seeks to help relieve the burden of the financial and emotional hardships of caring for a sick or injured companion or work animal. Our hope is that by doing so, we will also reduce the number of animals with medical issues being surrendered to already overburdened shelters or needlessly euthanized.

Costs are an inevitable part of the responsibility of owning companion and work animals, however, emergencies and illness can happen and the costs associated can be quite expensive for animal owners. This often results in animals being euthanized or needlessly suffering. Hobo’s Healing Heart assists owners with emergency and diagnostic veterinary care costs beyond the typical expenses of owning an animal. There are agencies such as Medicaid to help assist low-income families with emergency medical care for human children and adults, however, there are no agencies to provide assistance with unexpected emergency or diagnostic expenses for the veterinary care of an animal.

Hobo's Healing Heart is a South Dakota chartered not for profit serving Butte, Lawrence and Meade Counties in South Dakota and Crook County in Wyoming. All donations are 100% tax deductible (unless otherwise noted) in accordance with the US Tax Code 501(c)3, Public Charity Status 107 (b) (1) (A) (vi). Hobo's Healing Heart recommends that all donors see the advice of a tax-attorney or licensed tax preparer for guidance on tax deductibility for all donations you make. Hobo's Healing Heart is dedicated to using the largest percentage of donations possible to aid families in need of emergency veterinary care assistance. We keep our operating/administration costs minimal as we are an all-volunteer nonprofit. Our financial information is available upon request from any interested donors and welcome questions regarding Hobo's Healing Heart at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., please put "Hobo's Healing Heart" in the subject line of your email. Thank you.

Our Board Members:

President, Treasurer and Founder:Kelly Harnett (Hayworth). Kelly's fur family includes one special needs dog, Diesel, and a newly adopted dog, Mater, a foster dog named Golden that she is helping overcome insecurities and fears, as well as three cats (Kitten, Gideon, and Liam the Lion), and a Western Painted Turtle named Turtle. Kelly has many furbabies that have crossed over including Hobo, the name sake for this nonprofit. She has an A.A.S. in Natural Resource Management, an A.A.S. in Fish and Wildlife Management, and a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and Biology. She has volunteered for over 20 years with various animal rescues rehabilitating severely neglected and abused dogs and horses. Kelly's volunteering isn't limited to animals, she has been a part of her church's technical worship team since 2014 and serves as a ski guide to the visually, hearing, and physically impaired during an annual skiing event held by Ski For Light Black Hills. Kelly has also worked in the Banking industry for over 10 years and currently serves as an Assistant Vice President at a local Bank. She is an avid amateur photographer and enjoys all outdoor activities, especially cycling and skiing.

Vice President and Director: J.K. Dooley. J.K.'s fur family includes one dog (Ellie), and many that have crossed over. She has served as a Chamber of Commerce Membership Director and a Marketing Director for a nonprofit organization providing transitional housing for homeless families and housing to keep working poor families stable through market adjusted rents. J.K. is an accomplished painter and enjoys spending time hiking with her dog.

Secretary: Shae Walters. Shae's fur family currently includes two rescue dogs (Frankie Jean and Mr. James), a turtle (Dennis), a stray cat who would sneak in during the middle of the night (Midnight), many fish and bugs and countless long lost fur babies who have crossed over. Shae is an advocate for emotional support animals and active in the development of a closer, more secure relationship between animal and owner, through the process of registering current animals to qualified owners and pre-approving those up for adoption. Shae is a certified CPR and First Aid provider/instructor, who owns Emergency Action & Rescue Services and leads the Black Hills CPR team. He has proven the value of these skills by providing Canine CPR during our annual event fundraiser! Shae also owns Quality Finish, which specializing in containment, clean-up, and abnormal task management services. He has received an Associate of Science degree with the University of MT, majoring in aviation maintenance; is a licensed provider for the American Red Cross and EMS Safety Services; and has worked as retail upper management with a very successful company. As a father of four, with a wife that is a full time student, and operating multiple businesses, Shae has still finds the time to coach Tee-ball and be an active member of his church and community. Most recently, Shae and his wife donated 2 weeks of their time and skills to aid in the set up and operation of a mass care shelter in Houston, TX to assist in the aftermath of the Hurricane, housing nearly 900 residents. He enjoys outdoor time with the kids and dogs and the thought of anything new.

Director: Eva Baries. Eva's fur family includes two rescue dogs (Mabel and Pinecone), a rabbit (Fox), and many that have crossed over. She is a Certified Special Education Instructional Assistant, a volunteer after school tutor, and has previously volunteered as a victim's advocate on a Rape and Domestic Violence Task Force. She has donated her time as a Board Member for Jackson Jaycees and was a Girl Scout Leader and a Confirmation Guide at her local church. Eva is a talented photographer and a Board Member and Field Trip Coordinator with the Black Hills Photographic Society.

Director: Natalie Johnson. Natalie's fur family includes four horses (Ben, Romeo, KoKoa and Buck), one dog (Molly), two cats (Sootie and Hope), and many that have crossed over. Natalie earned her Diploma in Nursing and served over 23 years as a Nurse and volunteered her time to various committees to improve patient/nurse relationships. She was a Site Coordinator for a local Bountiful Basket group and Chief Director and Coordinator for a Rancher Relief Fundraising Benefit to assist Ranchers affected by the October 2013 Blizzard. She also organized several other fundraising benefits for different organizations throughout the years and served as a Volunteer District Director of the Rapid City Area Girl Scouts Association. She enjoys spending time with her horses and family as much as she can.